China, India Turn to Ecuador
In Their Search for Oil

QUITO, Ecuador -- Two Asian giants are turning to one of Latin America's smallest countries -- Ecuador -- in the hope of slaking their economies' burgeoning thirst for crude oil.

China, whose state oil companies already have sunk about $100 million into drilling and exploration work here, is looking to ramp up its presence through a series of high-profile contracts about to be announced by Ecuador's Ministry of Energy and Mines....